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Topic Review (Newest First)

03-21-2003 03:39 PM

trees

I guess we will be saying almost the same thing, but the main point is heat transfer. The most important heat transfer occurs in the motor, not the rad. You want the water flow slow enough to let the engine heat transfer to the water, The rad is much more efficient than the water jackets so the thermostat slows the water down enough to let the transfer take place in the motor. Cool water temp, which you will see most of the time with out a thermostat, does not mean a cool motor. In fact, if you run an oil temp guage, it will make you a believer!!! Thus, I would be very suspecious of this motor!!

Trees

Trees

03-21-2003 03:04 PM

milner

i fully agree with everyone that says you need a stat. you need to slow the flow of coolant, to allow it to cool. steve b said it about as good as it can be said. when i raced stock car, we took out the stat, in case it stuck shut and over heated. but we all ran restrictor plates in place of them.

03-21-2003 04:30 AM

M&M CUSTOM

Like a beer in the fridge, the longer it's in the radiator the cooler it CAN become (effeciency).
If it wasn't meant to be in there they wouldn't make 'em, and the manufacturers wouldn't put 'em in there either.

03-20-2003 10:47 AM

Steve B

An engine without a thermostat will not neccessarily run at the same temp as with one when the engine is warmed up. As stated by andybird, without a 'stat, the engine will take longer to reach operating temp, but can run cooler or even hotter depending on the efficiency of the radiator. The thermostat even when fully open is an engineered restriction that does slow the flow of coolant down to allow it to reside longer in the radiator, allowing it to cool better.

Idealy, an engine with a 190 degree thermostat should run at 190 degrees as the thermostat cycles open and more closed. An engine without that thermostat may never reach 190 degrees if the radiator is efficient. It may even run hotter if the coolant can't stay in the radiator long enough. A high perf motor that wants to run hot will run where it wants to even with the thermostat wide open- no matter if its a 160 degree or 195 degree 'stat.

I think we agree however that thermostats should always be used

03-20-2003 09:47 AM

andybird

eh? that's not quite right DoubleVision (sorry), what you've said is almost the direct oposite of the real reason for running one...

A thermostat blocks the flow of coolant to the radiator until the engine has warmed up. When the engine is cold, no coolant flows through the engine (although there is coolant in the engine obviously). Once the engine reaches its operating temperature (generally about 160 - 200 degrees F), the thermostat opens. (Allowing coolant to flow and thereby cooling the engine)

By letting the engine warm up as quickly as possible, the thermostat reduces engine wear, deposits and emissions.

By not having a thermostat your engine takes longer to heat up, but once it has reached operating temperature, a car without a thermostat runs the same as one with.

I would always run a thermostat personally...

[ March 20, 2003: Message edited by: andybird ]</p>

03-20-2003 08:07 AM

DoubleVision

I know many that still do this, and I don`t recommend it, it doesn`t allow the coolant to stay in the radiator long enough to cool.

03-20-2003 06:57 AM

rehjr0219

Cooling Issues

Has anyone ever headr of running a motor strictly for street use withiut the themostat when I bought the motor from the guy I went through and added some things and freshened uop before dropping it in when I noticed ther was no thermostat I was going to put one in but my buddy also says he doesn't run one in his????? (never heard of it)